Eggs on Ice - A Review & Giveaway

Review

EGGS ON ICE by Laura Childs

The Eighth Cackleberry Club Mystery

Winter has arrived in the Midwest and Suzanne Dietz and her pal, Toni, are trying to figure out the ropes as stagehands for the local production of A Christmas Carol. Allan Sharp is giving a great performance as Scrooge, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as the man is hated by most of the town. Suzanne and Toni are suitably spooked by the Ghost of Christmas Past who gives a terrifying performance...even more so when the man playing the ghost approaches them to say he missed his cue, and Allan is not moving. Who was the ghost on stage? Between cooking up and serving great meals at the Cackleberry Cafe with Toni and Petra, Suzanne will delve into the murder investigation despite her fiance's request to stay out of it for once. But will looking into another murder result in her own goose getting cooked?  

Fans of the Cackleberry Club will be delighted with this newest mystery. While I found the story entertaining, it did emphasize some issues I've had with this series. Toni acts more like a twelve year old than a woman in her forties and Petra's religiosity can be a little off-putting. While Suzanne is the reliable person in the group, even her behavior was irksome at times, fretting about her relationship with Sam yet doing what she knows will upset him. Still, Toni's antics can be entertaining and no one can doubt the good nature of the trio.

The methods of the murders was ingenious. I particularly liked the first one committed on stage. Laura Childs deftly draws readers to two suspects in particular and engineers some fantastic ambushes of both characters and readers who weren't paying close enough attention. Known for her chase scenes, Childs does not disappoint in this latest mystery.

EGGS ON ICE is a fast paced winter themed mystery. The delectable recipes included make me want to visit the Cackleberry Club despite my issues with it.

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Eggs on Ice (A Cackleberry Club Mystery) by Laura Childs

About the Book

Eggs on Ice (A Cackleberry Club Mystery)  

Cozy Mystery 8th in Series  

Berkley (December 4, 2018) 

Hardcover: 304 pages

Some say that casting crusty attorney Allen Sharpe as Scrooge in the Kindred Players production of "A Christmas Carol" is just playing to type. He's not the most beloved man in town. In fact, you'd have a dickens of a time finding someone who liked him. Still it's a shock when the Ghost of Christmas Past stabs him during the first rehearsal. Suzanne, co-owner of the Cackleberry Club café, Kindred's favorite combination diner, craft store and bookshop, chases the murderer out of the building but loses him in the alley. As the days pass the list of suspects grows longer. Is it the disgruntled partner? The former secretary whom Sharpe sexually harrassed? Or is it fellow owner of the Cackleberry Club, Toni's almost ex-husband, Junior? The women of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he can add another victim to his Christmas list.

About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:  
Webpage - http://www.laurachilds.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31  

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play IndieBound

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